I read that the Malta Union of Teachers has lifted its directives after the government agreed to examine the position of the teaching grades in relation to other professions in the public sector.

However, the comparison with other professionals in the public sector should work both ways. For example, can other public officers work half days gratis without compensating for them way ahead in advance? Can we earn a summer bonus for not going for work?

No one is saying that teaching is an easy stress-free job. But can other professionals whose jobs are also very demanding and stressful also benefit from a total of around four months of vacation leave? Again, no one is saying that teachers don’t do preparatory work at home including corrections. But can we be given the option to arrive home by around 2 or 2.30pm and continue our clerical work in the comfort of our homes? Can we demand, by right, a reasonable break or two gratis (not just five minutes standing break!)? And finally, can we all be given laptops?

Had we been reassured that teachers will be satisfied once and for all with the allowances they hope to get, I don’t mind it, but what worries me is that these people are like spoiled children who don’t appreciate what they already have and always want more and more because everything for them is relatively easy to acquire. So, the problem with these people is a chronic one because it will not take long before they dream of something else! Several teachers even criticise their own union, the MUT which is, in my opinion, doing the impossible for them.

A senior minister once said that every euro increase in salary should be linked with productivity. Teachers do not fall under this minister’s portfolio but this does not mean that they should be excluded from giving back something extra in return.

So how about tying the proposed teachers’ allowances with productivity? Perhaps like that we may decrease the demands for evening private tuition and it will be a win-win situation for both teachers (who will get their extra allowance or reduction in class size, or whatever they wish to achieve) and parents and children alike. Having mentioned private tuition, it is pointless saying my interpretations for making great use of private lessons, but it is my wish to see a question or two related to private tuition in a national survey or the next census.

An increase in teaching productivity can also be tied with more physical education during most days of the week so as to decrease childhood obesity. Extra religion lessons can, on the other hand, lessen the burden of having to take children for evening doctrine lessons. Last but not least, increased productivity can contribute to thousands of mothers returning back to work.

For those who intend to reply, kindly remember what I said above namely that no one is saying that teaching is an easy job and that no one is saying that teachers don’t do preparatory work at home. So, I am assuming that every teacher, immaterial of class size and subject(s) being delivered, has the same pressure of work because I am sick of receiving the same stereotype replies again and again.

And please, for your own good, don’t continue shooting yourselves in the foot. Don’t keep on challenging other professionals to have a taste of the teaching career because this is precisely what is happening: they get to love it and find it very attractive. From all the other professionals I know who switched to teaching, no one returned to his / her original place of work. I don’t do it because I risk myself being nailed to a cross!

Finally, if you really want to prove the hardship of teaching, I suggest you publish the percentage resignations of teachers?

C. Micallef

Fgura